Remember back when Dodge first decided to put a Viper engine in a Ram pickup truck? Well, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Of course, the modern equivalent of that was Dodge fitting the Ram 1500 TRX with a Hellcat engine. As it turns out, it was one heck of an idea.
The Ram 1500 TRX went into production in December of 2020, and they kept making these babies up until this past February. The truck was based on the Ram Rebel TRX concept from 2016, which captured the imagination of pickup buyers everywhere.
The TRX also stood as Stellantis’ response to the Ford F-150 Raptor, although it was more like a punch in the face rather than a friendly hello. It took Ford coming out with the Raptor R in order for the flagship F-150 to truly compete with the TRX.
As far as the used car market is concerned, the TRX is reasonably successful, although this particular truck (with 5,200 miles on the clock) failed to sell at auction. The highest bid went as far as $71,500, which is roughly the base MSRP. This truck also had a few optional extras, bringing the total price to $81,600. The owner, a dealership out of Indiana, clearly thought they could do better.
In terms of specs, we’re dealing with a Billet Silver Metallic exterior, featuring 18-inch alloy wheels, TRX graphics, power-folding trailer-tow mirrors, active-performance shock absorbers, and off-road style running boards. Meanwhile, the Bed Utility Group adds the deployable bed-step, 4 adjustable cargo tie-down hooks, and the spray-in bedliner.
For the interior, the TRX Level 1 Equipment Group option does most of the “damage”, offering leather-trimmed bucket seats (also heated and 8-way power-adjustable), leather-wrapped driver and passenger assist handles, upgraded floor console, LED ambient lighting, a heated steering wheel, power-adjustable pedals, rain-sensitive windshield wipers, and a rear-seat storage compartment.
Photo: Cars & Bids
Other noteworthy goodies include the remote-start system, ParkView rear-view camera, the Uconnect system and the Trailer Tow Group. The latter adds a trailer light check, trailer tire pressure monitoring system and a trailer brake controller.
As for performance, you know we’re dealing with a supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi V8 engine, straight out of a Hellcat-spec Challenger/Charger. Of course, unlike its smaller cousins, the Ram’s Hemi is “only” good for 702 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque, with everything getting sent to all four wheels via an eight-speed 8HP95 automatic transmission.
Rest assured this thing is properly quick. It can get you to 60 mph (97 kph) in just 4.5 seconds, before maxing out at around 118 mph (190 kph). The TRX can also cover a quarter mile in just 12.9 seconds, which is impressive for a vehicle this size – it weighs nearly 3 tons (6.440 lbs).
Sergiu got to experience both American and European car "scenes" at an early age (his father drove a Ford Fiesta XR2 supermini in the 80s). After spending over 15 years at local and international auto publications, he's starting to appreciate comfort behind the wheel more than raw power and acceleration. Full profile
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